Eight Things You Probably Don’t Know About Flowering Cherry Trees

By Brian Funk | May 2, 2014

Thousands of visitors have been flocking to Brooklyn Botanic Garden this spring, and every spring, to view our collection of flowering cherries. They may be the most beloved trees in New York City. Still, there are many things most people don’t realize about these beautiful pink- and white-blossomed plants. Here are some little-known facts.

They make fruit.

Well, many of them do, anyway. Though these trees were bred for flowers, not fruit, some do produce small cherries, which appear during the summer. They’re too sour for people to eat, but birds like them.

Any given tree may only be in full bloom for about a week.

Cherry blossom season usually lasts about a month from the earliest bloomers—this year the ever-blooming cherry (Prunus sargentii 'Fudan-zakura')—to the latest, usually the 'Kanzan' (P. ‘Kanzan’) and the 'Ukon' (P. serrulata ‘Ukon’). But an individual tree may only be in bloom for a week or two, depending on the weather. Of course, if they were in bloom all the time, they wouldn’t be so special.

They don’t live long.

Like their blossoms, flowering cherry trees themselves are fairly ephemeral too, at least as trees go. Most cultivars live only 30 to 40 years. Brooklyn Botanic Garden's collection includes some of the oldest specimens in North America, though—the two weeping higan cherries (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula') at the north end of Cherry Walk. Those were part of the original 1921 planting.

Flowering cherries actually don’t belong in a traditional Japanese garden.

Conifers, maples, azaleas, and mosses are all much more common in traditional Japanese gardens, which are created to showcase year-round seasonal interest. In Japan, flowering cherries, with their short blooming period, symbolize the ephemeral. They’re more likely to be planted in parks, where Hanami is pretty much celebrated as a drunken picnic. Office workers make their interns go out early in the morning with a blanket to stake out a spot under the cherry trees—kind of like movie nights in Bryant Park. Then later everyone shows up with the food and sake. Still, compared with cherry festivals in the U.S., they are rather solemn events where everyone contemplates the impermanence of life.

Here in Brooklyn, it would be hard to have a Japanese garden without including a plant so closely associated with Japanese culture. That’s why BBG horticulturists have always included flowering cherries in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.

The blossoms change colors.

Many are dark pink when in bud, lighter pink when they first blossom, and then eventually pale pink or white. There are some interesting variations on this, though. The blossoms of ‘Ukon’, for instance, progress from greenish yellow to white, and then pink.

The trees on Cherry Esplanade have five times the typical number of petals per flower.

Cherry blossom species naturally have five petals, but some cultivars are bred for fuller blossoms and have many more. The pink double blossoms of ‘Kanzan’ have as many as 28 petals each. Interestingly, in Japan, many people would consider this rather gaudy. There, the most popular cherry blossom is the Yoshino (Prunus x yedoensis), which has five white petals and is treasured for its delicate, simple form.

The flowering cherries on sale at home improvement stories are Franken-trees.

You see these around a lot—they look like mops or umbrellas or octopus trees. They are probably weeping higan branches grafted onto to a cherry with a straight trunk that was cut off at five feet tall. I don’t blame people for buying them because they’re one of the only widely available options. It’s a shame, though, because they are often really weak and unhealthy. If you look around a little, you can probably find upright higan or Yoshino cultivars for sale, which I think are much nicer options.

This year aside, they are blooming earlier every year.

Lots of people think this year’s cherry blossoms are “late” since the trees flowered so much later than they did last year. But this year’s bloom times are actually pretty close to what used to be normal. The overall trend is for them to blossom a little earlier each year. That’s due to climate change. It wasn’t that long ago that Sakura Matsuri was scheduled for the first weekend in May, which corresponded pretty well with Cherry Esplanade's being in bloom. Now, more often then not, it’s sometime in April.

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Discussion

Varetta
March 2, 2018

Great article. I have a question: Can the berries be controlled? They make mess on our driveway.

J. Mann
September 12, 2017

I have a Yoshino cherry tree growing in my south Georgia yard, and I think I have another one growing in my flower bed that I didn’t plant there. It has same leaves as my cherry, and it’s touching the eaves on my roof now! Can these trees spread on their own?

win
September 5, 2017

Could you tell me the nectar yield and properties of the flowering cherry, please?

Alan
August 18, 2017

I have chopped an ill-looking flowering cherry, leaving an ornamental stub about 3 feet tall. The stub has now sprouted many branches, and the leaves look smashing. But I don’t know what to do now. Can I train it as a small bush, or do I clear the small branches and leave a few bigger branches to grow as a tree?

Patti
August 12, 2017

I have a Yoshino cherry tree that is approximately 18 years old. It drops most of its leaves in early summer. My neighbor has another Yoshino cherry a couple of years younger than mine that is very verdant. It gets the same amount of sun exposure and water. Is there any way I can perk my tree up? It looks plain sparse.

Mrs Britain
July 30, 2017

I have a flowering cherry tree (in the United Kingdom), and I have suckers from the tree coming up in my lawn. How far do suckers grow away from the tree as I am concerned they will go under my house and cause damage. Thank you.

Bryan
July 20, 2017

I have a three-year-old ornamental cherry tree that this year produced small blossoms and small leaves and now small berries. Any ideas why?

Doreen
July 19, 2017

I have two sour cherry trees that produce every year (they are about 20 years old). This is the first year that the birds did not eat the cherries. They usually pick the tree clean. Is the untouched fruit indication of anything wrong?

Dawn
February 14, 2017

I have many kinds of cherry trees growing in my yard. One looked dead so we cut it down;however it has grown back like a bush. Will it ever flower again??

Brenda
February 7, 2017

I have a cherry blossom tree that has been here for 25-plus years. A few years back, well after the spring blooms had turned to all leaves, it began to bloom again but only in a certain spot. We had a Weber charcoal grill under one section of the large branches and right above the grill is where it began to bloom again in late summer! Any thoughts?

fiona
January 21, 2017

the leaves were covered with black spots; now it is not producing cherries. What should I do?

BBG Staff
January 3, 2017

December through April, when the saplings are dormant, are the best months to plant trees in the Pacific Northwest, as long as at planting time the soil is not frozen and the air temperature is above freezing.

Tavi
December 30, 2016

Can cherry tree be planted in the winter months. I live in the Pacific NW.

BBG Staff
October 28, 2016

Ann: We recommend calling a certified arborist to assess your cherry tree. There are many variables (the age of the tree, the type and drainage of soil it is growing in, amount of sunlight the tree gets, prior pruning and care the tree received, etc.) that contribute to the health (and illness) of a tree. A site visit is the best way to understand the tree and its growing conditions and accurately determine how to proceed with its care.

BBG Staff
October 28, 2016

Hi, MJ and Adrian:
We do not recommend planting flowering cherries under the canopy of any tree, black walnut or otherwise. Regarding mulch, a layer of about three inches is fine for flowering cherries; to avoid pest problems, make sure that it’s not piled up near the trunk .

MJ
October 2, 2016

Will a flowering cherry survive close to the canopy of a black walnut tree?

adrian
October 1, 2016

Will cherry trees thrive around other plants and shrubs that require mulch?

BBG Staff
September 1, 2016

Hi Elizabeth: Thank you for your query. It sounds as if the graft of your ornamental cherry tree didn’t take. The rootstock of your tree is growing, while the scion (the part grafted on) has died. We can’t tell you what type of tree was used as rootstock for your cherry tree, but because the nursery trade in the United States typically uses Prunus avium or P. serrula as rootstock, the tree that you have growing now is likely one of those. Prunus serrula can be distinguished by its reddish-brown bark.

Elizabeth
August 22, 2016

I purchased a double weeping cherry tree from a magazine last year (big mistake) and it didn’t do well. I was surprised to see it growing back this spring but only under the grafted part. I left it alone all year and just recently snipped off the dead top next to a newly grown branch. What is going to grow now?

Ann
August 14, 2016

We have purchased a house with an ornamental cherry tree. The tree has a lot of small dead branches inside and many roots that are popping up in the yard that have tree starts on them. Some are even growing in other bushes with very large growth starts. How can we get rid these starts without killing the tree? Also, why would the branches inside the tree be dying? Is it time to cut this old tree down?

Samina
July 23, 2016

I have three cherry blossom trees—one tree is about 14 years old, and it’s fruiting. They are very beautiful to look at, but can the cherries be eaten??

Nancy
July 21, 2016

I live in east Texas, with summers of extreme heat. I just planted a cherry tree this year, and it is looking grow well. I cover my tree around with mulch to keep it moist, and unless it rains, I water it one time a week. I do not fertilize it too much.

Larry
July 17, 2016

I live in south Texas, and our winters range between 40°F and 75°F and our summers range from 85°F to 100°F. Can these trees survive this kind of weather?

NORMA
July 15, 2016

I have three Japanese cherry trees in the front yard. This year they do not have as many leaves, and some of the branches are dying. They are about 25 years old and have never been trimmed. How far should I cut them back if they are to be trimmed?

Denise, it could be many things, but often trees are planted too low in the ground—the root flare should not be buried. Cut off dead branches down to a crotch (junction), and wait to see if the remaining live branches fill out.

Denise
June 28, 2016

I just planted a Yoshino cherry in Iowa and it looks like the top is dying, although I have a few branches growing new leaves. Is there any way to save this tree? Can I cut off the dead branches or the trunk of the tree at the top?

Melanie
June 19, 2016

Is there any way to STOP them from producing cherries? My tree is about 10 years old and just in the last 2 years it starting making fruit and I don’t want the mess. Beautiful trees. I have 3 in my front yard and they are fine but the one in the back is a mess.

Alyson
June 14, 2016

My tree has half white and half pink flowers; it’s been grafted. The tree is about 30 years old and just started to produce cherries. Can anyone tell me why and can you eat them?

Becky McGowen
June 10, 2016

I am in the process of purchasing a home that has a blossoming cherry tree. It is loaded with cherries and they were very sweet. The realtor is related to the original owner and phoned her. She said she never saw it produce fruit. Wondering about this, is it random?

Kristen
May 5, 2016

We have I believe a Prunus ‘Kanzan’ that has always bloomed with double pink blossoms. This year it just started to bloom but the blossoms are single and white. The tree is maybe 6 years old. Is this normal?

Thomas Lucas
May 5, 2016

When should cherry trees be pruned or cut back in Northern Ireland?

Paige
July 5, 2015

My truck is parked under my cherry blossom tree and there is a sticky substance that seems to have been sprayed on my truck. Is it coming from my tree? This has never happened before.

Donna Dorton
June 28, 2015

When should cherry trees be pruned or cut back in Texas?

BBG Horticultural Staff
May 27, 2015

Theresa: Bandaging could be a good way to go; doing so right after bark is injured can bring separated edges back together quickly enough and keep them moist enough that they may fuse back together. Be careful that the bandaging doesn’t girdle the tree over time. Staking is also a sound practice. Likewise, make sure that whatever material is used doesn’t girdle or chafe. Stake the tree as low as possible while providing stability, and remove the stakes as soon as possible after the tree seems to be re-rooted.

BBG Horticultural Staff
May 27, 2015

Stacy: Poor flowering could be caused by many things. Lack of maturity seems a likely culprit. Given NYC backyards, it could also be lack of light. Some other possibilities: It could be over- or under-watered, or the soil, if it was amended, may be too rich.

Theresa Burton
May 19, 2015

Strong winds blew the cherry tree over in my yard and snapped part of it in half. I’ve tried to bandage it and stake it up. Are there any tips to help the cherry tree survive?

Stacy
May 13, 2015

My boyfriend had a cherry blossom tree planted in his yard two years ago. Although it has grown, it has yet to bloom. Any thoughts as to why?

Lennie Fournier
October 14, 2014

I just noticed this morning that my two trees both have a few blossoms on them, which came as a total October surprise. Who knew!!

Mike
May 15, 2014

Very interesting facts. The blossoms are very fragile and delicate. I once heard the cherries bloom again for a short time in the fall; is this true? Life, like the blossoms, is fragile and only last a short time.

bluelovecat
May 8, 2014

Some native varieties have a very long life, and some trees in Japan are known to be over 1,000 years old. Search “The Five Great Cherry Blossoms in Japan” on Youtube: All those tree are very old, especially Jindai-zakura, which is believed to be nearly 2,000 years old. And yes, some Japanese consider double-petal varieties like ‘Kanzan’ gaudy, though many think they are gorgeous. In Japan, I have never seen so many ‘Kanzan’ lined up like in BBG. A bit strange, to be honest, but I really enjoy them every year. And I really appreciate BBG for having and caring for so many of them.

janaki
May 5, 2014

Very beautiful.

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